anagramofbrat | PAXRoundup! No pics this time. Well, maybe one. And a GIP.

The problem (or is it?) with being the person behind the camera all the time is that by default, you kind of erase yourself from the narrative you're trying to create with your pictures, and you end up with this set of images where your presence is implied (someone had to take the pictures), but never explicitly stated. At best, someone else, telling their own story with their cameras, will include you in it; if the both of you are documenting the same event, well, all the better. So with that in mind, I include this picture from

avalon616's sweetie.

I look psychotic, I think, but this is not a bad thing - I'm sure I look like that when I'm having the camera crazies. Hence, new icon.

Y'all this weekend. Pictures being worth 1K words or something, I feel like the tale was appropriately told in the bajillion pics I posted, but there are some details and embellishments and feelings or something that the pictures didn't address. Unfortunately since doing so in chronological order would take forever and be novella length I'll stick to bullet points.

PAXAnnoying:
I can't really say anything was truly bad other than losing my wallet yesterday, and even then, it got returned with nothing stolen so even that didn't turn out terrible. However I did have a few annoyances, some of which were lack of preparation on my part, some of which were con-related.

Connectivity. This is the first time I've attended an event at the BCEC (I've been to 3 so far) and had the convention center wifi consistently be utter crap. Even last year's PAXEast you could reliably still get excellent signal anywhere outside of the exhibition hall floor. I'm guessing there were exponentially more people in attendance this year than last so it was more strained? but this is a gaming con! the connectivity needs to be able to hold up under that kind of strain. Some of this could have been solved by possessing some sort of cell type object (it was kind of frustrating having periods where I couldn't get in touch with cell23 or the rest of the gang easily) but the local cell towers were also massively overloaded, and there were complaints right and left about all three major cell providers crapping out as well. So there's a major infrastructure issue there. Hopefully since PAXEast is now contracted to be at this venue for the next few years, that'll be addressed before the next one? or... IDK. Can you even plan for that kind of sheer volume?
I was a wee bit annoyed about the PAXEaster shirts. Not that they were nearly sold out by noon that's sort of expected. And I did end up buying one in the right size in the color I wanted. My complaint was regarding the so called Ladies' shirts. first of all, I'm generally annoyed by labelling straight cut shirts as mens' Ts and fitted/babydoll cut ones as womens/ladies. Compounding this annoyance is that while both were pastel, the straight shirts were blue (the color I wanted) and the fitted, pink. Thats just... ARG. It's a little thing, sure, but unnecessary gendering of clothing just pisses me off. I'm a lady. I don't like pink. Y U PUT ME IN THIS BOX. ASKJFHADKFHASDKJFHAKJ. Meh, someone more eloquent than I can grab this rant and run with it, but it made me more than a little huffy when buying my shirt.
What's up, overpriced, kinda gross con-food?
Oh Westin. *facedesk* There are reasons I don't generally like staying in posh hotels. Mostly having to do with the availability of interbutts. I'm not exactly sure why I can get internet bleeding out of my ass at a Super 8, but have to pay 18.95 per device at a swanky place. *shakes head* rich people. Though being able to cross the street to the convention center without going outside was pretty sweet, I'm not sure the rest of it was worth staying there. I've never hummed the "Charge em for the lice, extra for the mice" verse of "Master of the House" so much at a hotel. Hopefully next year we'll have better luck at one of the hotels across the bridge. It'll be closer to the food anyway. :)
I need a better flash/lens for my camera. All the pictures I was very unhappy with were the flash ones, and they blow. Need something I can angle and diffuse. As for lenses, I wouldn't mind something faster with more of a zoom, but they are le pricey and less of a priority. But a less harsh flash would be really nice. I know I know, first world problem, but hey, it would actually be nice to take pics in low light and have more than 1/10 come out not crappy, you know? Also need a new lens cap and perhaps a smaller camera case... maybe even a monopod I can double as a walking stick because the camera got really heavy and annoying hanging around my neck for three days. Le Sigh.
There were just little nitpicky things that got to me that mostly stemmed from lack of preparation on my part. Or in some cases, overpreparation. Eh, things to improve on, eh?

Wellp, now that's out of the way, on to the good stuff!

PAXFunny:

Getting lost on the way. Especially circling the convention center 3 times looking for the Westin parking. Well, okay, it was funny in retrospect.
Croakinole, as commentated by Jerry and Mike. Surprisingly intense, at least the first three rounds. Then it got trying, but at least counting how many time Jerry would gush "Exquisite!" after a particularly good move by one of the players remained amusing. (it was at least 12 by the time the Omegathon ended.) cell23 might have made a crack about mailing Jerry a thesaurus.
omgwtfaninja cosplaying Grown-Up and Burly Finn from Adventure Time, rather successfully on Friday.
Getting shots of people in costume doing normal-people things, mostly playing games in line or texting. Most of which happened organically, there were only a couple of people I actually asked to pull out a phone. I think my favorite one was the woman cosplaying Yuna from FFX using her iPhone to fix her hair.

PAXGood:

I genuinely enjoyed the con. There's always that little bit of "why am I going to this again?" because I'm not a hardcore gamer, however I do play the occasional tabletop, iOS apps are getting more and more representation, and as someone who appreciates gamer culture from the sidelines I have found more than enough to keep me entertained and happy at PAXEast. Possibly more than said hardcore gamers - the lines to demo games like Borderlands 2 and some of the other stuff were Disney World At Peak Vacation Time ridiculous.
#paxbutts hashtag. I seem to be currently wearing the Group Introvert badge among the squirekids usually, but when I do make the effort to hang out and be social I enjoy hanging out with the gang. They do make, for the most part, a pretty awesome travel pack.
So many Cards Against Humanity games. omgwtfaninja managed to score himself a copy; I may indeed have to order myself one at some point. Knowing me, I won't actually obtain one until two PAXes from now, seeing as I only just managed to buy Zombie Dice this weekend and that was the Game Of Choice for PAXEast 2010 (which I didn't attend).
The transgender panel on Friday. So glad I made it to that one! I salute everyone on that panel for sharing their stories.
Quite a few compliments on my hair - y'all know how much I love that shit. :)
Splitting a room/ride with omgwtfaninja and @millionthmurray was actually pretty nice. Could think of a lot more demanding/unpleasant/inconsiderate roomshare situations I've been in.
People, for the most part, being the opposite of dickholes.
Managing to find and enjoy the FetLife meetup. First rule of kinky people: outside of scene, my god, we're all incredible dorks.
Finding two tasty, not insanely expensive food options within walking distance of the BCEC. Because in-con food is expensive and terrible, y'all, and cell23 and I went through the stuff we'd brought with us rather quickly. Salvatore's had 19" pizza quarters for around $5 and apparently really good cupcakes; the rest of their menu also looked promising. And on recommendations from several sources we did seek out No Name restaurant on the pier, where I satisfied a long standing craving for salmon and left pleasantly stuffed.
Arcade console museum? yes please.
I'm apparently reasonably good at staring contests. This one booth on the floor was holding them to promote their eyedrops (wtf) and for shits and giggles I tried it. Made it seven rounds before blinking. Guess all that time practicing with the sisters was worth something? lol IDK.
Getting to hang out with the kids and cell23 for a bit in downtown Boston, where I'd never been. Was actually rather taken with the ghostly shell and carillon of the old Filene's flagship - I have a hard on for the ding-dong, as you all know (take that however you like), and also for old, elaborate abandoned architecture. I used to be quietly obsessed with the Orbach's building on 34th street for years after they closed before they turned it into a branch of the NYPL. They just don't make department stores like that anymore. Thankfully the Filenes, or at least most of the facade of it, is slated to become part of a new hotel/business complex, so some bit of it will stay. The bit with the bells.

That bit of Boston, btw? Washington street near the Downtown Crossing T station? disoriented me like fuck. Something about the feel of the place had me hard pressed to believe I was in Boston and not, say, Fulton Street in Brooklyn. Were it not for the severely hideous by comparison Macy's across the street from the Filene's I probably wouldn't have gotten my bearings.

Note to self: explore Boston more.
While I was on my own a lot again this year it was primarily by choice, and I did get quite a few chances to hang with the whole gang and also just cell23 during the weekend. It's always a little funny being out with him - I never want to be That Couple while we're out, if you know what I mean, and neither does he, but a little bit of being obviously together doing stuff is nice, without tipping over into That Couple-dom. Did that make any sense? lol.
Getting to see labmouse! She was doing the race/sex/gender/diversity in gaming panel on Sunday and before and after said panel there was a lot of hugging and jumping up and down squeeing. We haven't seen each other except on the Intarwebs for about six years, I want to say. Sad I didn't get a good, in-focus pic of her at or after the panel, but hey.